The Damaged Hero
by denyz
Summary: "My name is Clark Kent. Or it used to be, anyway. I've been captured, tortured and experimented on in this hellhole since I was four years old. They tried to break me. Over and over again. They never did. I'm not broken. I'm just damaged. And one day, I'm going to get out of here. And I'm going to see my parents again." Set in my own universe.
1. Prologue

**Hi. So, this is my newest story - I had this idea a few days ago when I was trying to fall asleep, and, yeah, I couldn't. This story has nothing to do with my other currently on-going Superman story, The Adventures of Clark Kent. Don't worry, TAoCK will continue to be updated at least once a week, as will this story.**

 **This is the first time I'm writing from a first person's point of view - in this case, Clark's.**

 **This is basically a story of how Clark becomes the hero we all know and love, with the help of the Justice League, and mainly, Wonder Woman.**

 **As mentioned in the description, this is mainly a Superman/Wonder Woman story, with the Justice League in the background - but don't worry, you'll see the Justice League a lot. There will be Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Action, Adventure, and some funny moments. Basically, a little bit of everything.**

 **This chapter is just a prologue, the next chapters will be longer, you can bet your ass on that. :D**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Superman or any other Justice League characters, only the story idea and maybe some OCs who will appear in the later chapters.**

* * *

Prologue

My name is Clark Kent.

Or it used to be, anyway.

I was just a happy little four-year old boy from a small town in Kansas. Granted, I could lift a tractor with my pinky finger, but I was a happy boy nonetheless.

I had parents. A family who loved me dearly, and whom I loved even more so. They loved me, even though I was different. Even though I was not of this world. Even though I was.. special.. as my Pa used to say. I felt like I belonged.

Of course, some people didn't think so. Some people called me freak. Reported me for reasons unknown. Fear. Paranoia. Jealousy. Prevention. They were afraid of me. Even at such little age, I could see it in their eyes.

It didn't matter to me, as long as I had my family. As long as I had my Ma and Pa, I was happy, and unconcerned.

That all changed one day. Even with my memory, I don't remember the day all that well. I guess I don't want to remember it.

What I do remember is that people came. They didn't have to speak to me, I just knew they were bad. And I was right.

They took me away from my family. I tried to fight, I honestly did. But they did something to me. The last thing I remember from that day is the scream of my mother. She screamed my name. Clark Joseph Kent.

From that day forward, my name was not Clark Kent anymore.

From that day forward, people started calling me Subject Zero.

I've been in this hellhole, this _facility_ , as they called it, for almost seventeen years. They tried to dissect me while I was conscious. They told me anesthetics didn't work on me. I don't know if they do, they never tried, as far as I can remember. They tortured me. Interrogated me, for reasons unknown to me. I always begged them to stop. I cried, I screamed, I whimpered. I begged again and again. They never stopped. They kept doing this to me.

After years and years of constant.. torture.. I stopped begging them to stop. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. I wouldn't, because I realized that they enjoyed it when I begged for them to stop. When I cried.

They tried to break me, over and over again. They tried, and they failed.

I'm damaged, not broken.

And one day, I'm going to get out of here. I'm going to join the world again. I'm going to see my parents again. Whether the people here like it or not. I'm not their slave. I'm not their pawn. And I'm certainly not their plaything. I know my value, even if the others here don't know their own.

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 **Yeah, so this is the prologue. I hope you liked it. Please, write a review and let me know what you liked/didn't like.**

 **See you next time:)**


	2. Chapter 1 - Cheeky Dickhead

**Hi, so this is the new chapter, and as promised, it's much longer than the prologue. I hope you'll like it :)**

 **As you may have noticed, I changed the name from 'Damaged Hero' to 'The Damaged Hero,' because it seemed.. better. I like it more. :D**

 **Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't own these characters, which is a fucking shame, and neither do you.**

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Chapter 1 - Cheeky Dickhead

 _An explosion._

„ _We cannot leave, Jor. But he can. He will not share our fate. He will live, amongst the stars."_

 _A tremor._

„ _I know, my love. He will be free. Alive. He'll be a god among men."_

 _Terrifying screams, followed by another tremor. Stronger. Harsher._

 _The man looked down, and pressed a kiss to the child's forehead._

„ _Farewell, my son. We love you, even in our doom. You are the last son of Krypton. The last hope."_

 _The ground cracked open. People started falling in. Cries everywhere._

„ _It's time," said the woman next to him. A beautiful woman. Young. Strong. With eyes full of compassion. Love. And desperation. She was terrified._

„ _Goodbye, Kal-El. Remember – even if you feel alone. Even if you feel helpless. Desperate. Detached. We shall be with you. In your heart. Remember that, my son," the man said yet again._

 _The man tried to sound calm._

 _The cries intensified. Another terrible tremor shook the foundation of the planet._

 _The woman looked at the child. At him. Her eyes filled with unshed tears._

„ _I love you, my little Kal. Forever and always."_

 _The baby. Him._

 _He reached his hands towards his mother. To feel her gentle touch one last time._

 _He couldn't._

 _Something transparent closed around him. Cold._

 _Another explosion. Another tremor. Cries were heard everywhere, yet he couldn't hear them. He couldn't hear anything, for he was already up in the sky. Far beyond the tremors. Far beyond the explosions. And far beyond the cries._

 _The baby looked at the planet once again. One last time. It started to split open, geysers full of lava reached the sky, yet beyond his reach._

 _And with one last look, with one last tear, and one last cry.. the planet—_

I woke up abruptly, cold sweat making my clothes clinging to me, my first hurting. I tried to breathe evenly, tried to calm down my fast-beating heart. unsuccessfully.

The pain in my fist was not easing, so I looked at the wall. Right where my fist collided into it, making, unsurprisingly, a fist-sized hole.

It happened again.

The dream. Or nightmare, more like.

I'm used to having nightmares. You can't be in a place like this for years without having terrors haunting you in your dreams.

My dreams.. nightmares.. usually consisted of pain. Of screams. Darkness. Brokenness. Crying. And yet, this dream is different.

Not because I can't feel pain. I can. The pain is still there. Not physical, no, this kind of pain is the worst one there is. The pain of losing someone again and again. Just like I lost Ma and Pa. And just like I lost.. them.

I figured a long time ago that they were my biological parents. I am uneducated, not stupid. Most of the ‚scientists' here called me an alien. An _it_. To them, I am not human. For them, I am below that. I am below any animal, any human, and any organism here on Earth. And yet, they need me.

Why else would they try to interrogate me for seventeen years straight? Even dickheads like them should've figured out a long time ago that I don't know anything.

Maybe they enjoy it. They know I know nothing, and yet they enjoy seeing me in pain. Seeing me try to hold my screams, my cries, my pleas in.

I did try to plea. I did scream. And I did cry. But I did NOT break. I'll never going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me broken.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by a sharp pain in my hand, and only then have I noticed that my fist was still in the wall. I quickly pulled it out and checked my knuckles. Split open. Bloody. Maybe broken. I don't give a crap.

I used to be stronger when I first came here. It was actually kinda funny, when they tried to experiment on me for the first time. Their scalpels broke. Even the titanium ones. I mean, yeah, they did manage to cut me open with some green scalpel, and yeah, it did hurt like a bitch. I still have scars left all across my abdomen.

I know what you're probably thinking. _The guy has been in captivity for seventeen years and yet he can curse like a sailor._ You are right. That is what the guards and the scientists are here for. I broke one's arm once, you should've heard some of the creative curses he spat out. It brightened my mood considerably, then. Well, until they broke my arm, as a _reward_ , according to them.

I quickly stood up from the bed and made my way across the room, which was done by no more than three steps. There, I had what I call, my improvised calendar. I snorted. February 29th.

Happy birthday to me. I'm now officially 21.

I could be legally drinking now. If I wasn't locked up in here.

I don't even know what time is it, seeing that I don't have any windows in the cell, just a little light bulb on the ceiling, which I do not want to break again in my fit of anger, but I guessed it was sometime between midnight and lunch. Yeah, that seems to fit.

I heard a scream of pain and a laugh from the cell right next to mine. The guards seem to be in a good mood today, not that they aren't in good mood every day.

The screams subsided, as did the laughs, and I heard footsteps right next to the door of my cell, where they stopped abruptly. I heard a chuckle. Great.

The guard punched the code in, and the door opened.

„Wakey, wakey, Zero!" said the guard tauntingly. Oh, how much I wanted to clear that smirk out of his fat face. With my fist. The good one, of course. „It's time for another _examination._ "

If you didn't figure out what the examination is yet, you are pretty slow, but if you did, congratulations then.

The _examination_ , as they call it, is an every-day experimentation on the prisoners, as well as torturing them, if somebody decides to step out of line – which happens almost every time with me, therefore, I am already used to this.

Pretty sad, I know, right?

I sighed and made my way over to the guard, holding my hands in front of me for him to put the cuffs from some reinforced metal on them, as I already broke about thirty set of cuffs in the past. I know I could break these, too, even though it would hurt.

I decided a long time ago to wait for an opportunity to do it. I'm not stupid, I know I have to wait.

The guard, Mitchell, I think his name is, though I call him a cheeky dickhead, grinned coldly and without a warning, punched me into the stomach, knocking the wind out of me while simultaneously making me fall down on my knees.

It took me a few seconds, but when I was finally able to breathe again, I stood up and looked down at his eyes. Yeah, I'm taller than the cheeky dickhead. Awesome, right? Yeah, nope.

„Morning to you, too, you cum guzzling whale vagina," I said evenly, trying not to laugh. I know, I'm original, and I could already see him starting to get pissed off, „how are you today? Slept well?"

Most of the people working me hated my guts for multiple reasons. The scientists hated me because I told them to fuck off every few minutes. The guards hated me because I also told them to fuck off frequently, but also because I tried to protect the other prisoners here – something that my Ma and Pa instilled in me – I have a sense of responsibility, and if I can protect them, you bet I will protect them.

And generally, the people hated me here because I wasn't afraid to say them anything to their face, be it an insult or a compliment, which I practically never give, so yeah, basically, just insults.

Call it a defense mechanism, but I figured that since there's nothing worse they could do to me, I can at least have some fun with them.

„Oh, I'm going to enjoy this one, Zero. I'm going to watch you writhe and cry in pain while they dissect you again. And then, when you heal, which you always do, I'm going to have some fun with you," he said with a sneer, and then winked at me.

I wrinkled my nose. „Sorry, hun, you're not my type."

Truth be told, I was a little bit afraid now. They've never done anything like this. I can't even say the word. But I sincerely hope it doesn't happen, because I swear to every god from every single mythology there exist that if this guy tries to.. to _rape_ me, I will tear him apart. Limb. By. Limb. And that's exactly what I said to him.

The dickhead just laughed, but he stopped abruptly when he looked into my eyes. Something he saw in them made him frown. And.. is it fear I see in his eyes?

Good.

* * *

I was led through the hallways by no less than four guards, one of which included Mitchell, the cheeky dickhead himself. They know I resist a lot.

The hallways were sterile and white, like a hospital. A mental one, probably.

I tried not to look at the other cells, as most of the doors had a small window, so that the prisoners could look at the hallway, for reasons unknown.

I had a window like that once, too. Until I broke it. With someone's head. Okay, moving on.

I saw a few of the prisoners give me a look of sympathy, for they know what they do to me in there.

Finally, a few seconds later, we reached the end of the hallway, at which end was a door with the name _Dr. Emil Hamilton._ Oh, so today's ‚session' will be with Dr. Hamilton. He was one of the nicer ones, though I still hated him with passion. It's hard to like someone when they are cutting you apart and taking samples of your internal organs. Every day.

One of the guards knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened and the doctor himself stood there, in his usual white lab coat, balding grey hair and a graying beard. I would have shaved that little bit of hair on his head if I were him, but alas, I'm not. Lucky me.

„Ah, Subject Zero, welcome. Come in," he said and gestured for me to come in.

If you asked me, I would tell you that _no, thank you, I do not wish to come in, but you may, if you want to,_ but the guards already pushed me inside. I sighed. So, one of those days, eh?

Two guards had a hold of both of my arms, while the other two stood and watched my every move very closely. I tried not to spit at them. Ah, to hell with it, I may as well.

* * *

10 minutes, 2 spits, and a black eye later, which was not mine, I am strapped on the examination table in Dr. Hamilton's laboratory, the guards standing outside the door, the man himself standing above me and looking at me curiously.

„What?" I asked, irritation creeping into my voice, but I couldn't care less at the moment.

He still had the curious expression on his face. „You have been here for seventeen years, yet you still fight."

I wanted to tell him that _no shit, really? I wouldn't have guessed_ , but I decided to give him a chance to finish his thoughts.

„Why?" he asked me.

I looked at him, and for the first time in a long time, I thought about the answer I would give him. Normally, I would just be quiet or told him to fuck off, but not this time. There was something in his eyes. Compassion. Something I haven't seen in a really, really long time.

„I've been here for seventeen years, yes," I started, „but if you think I'm just going to sit.. or lay.." I added as an afterthought after I realized my current position, „here and let you break me, you are wrong. Very wrong. You are never going to break me. And I swear to you, one day, I will get out of here. Alive."

He seemed to think about it for a moment, and then, his eyes hardened in determination. He started unstrapping me from the table. I looked at him, question evident in my eyes.

„You are stronger than you think you are, Kryptonian," he said, „now go."

I gently rubbed my hands, which were still a little bit sore from the cuffs. Wait. Did he just say—

„Did you just say.. Kryptonian?" I asked.

He just nodded. „You'll figure it out. In time."

I looked at the door. He gently shook his head, and I knew I had no chance of escape through the door. An idea struck me. It would probably hurt like hell, but it would be worth it. Probably. If I didn't die in the process.

I looked at the wall pointedly, and the scientist's expression changed from puzzled to one of realization.

„I don't know if you're going to survive this," he said, „we're not exactly on the lowest floor."

I shrugged. „Better to die while trying to escape then die one day in here, like a lab rat."

Dr. Hamilton looked at the wall again, and then back at me. „Okay. If you do this, and survive this, remember two things," I gestured for him to continue. „Don't come back. Ever. Live your life. And two. The sun."

I didn't have the time to ask him what he meant by the sun, because right then, the guards started pounding on the door. I guess Dr. Hamilton locked it. Huh. Strange I didn't notice.

I looked at him. „I'm going to hurt you a little bit for it to be convincing, okay? Trust me, it's not going to be too bad."

Dr. Hamilton just shrugged and nodded, as if he was expecting this. I sighed, told him to get ready, and punched him hard across the jaw, knocking him out.

I looked at his unconscious body. „Thank you, doctor."

With that, I made my way over to the opposite side of the room, and with a record-breaking sprint, I ran into the wall, shattering it in the process.

It hurt like bitch, I'm not gonna lie. The punch in the wall while I was having a nightmare was like a tickle against it, but I didn't care. I was free. Finally.

That was until I realized I wasn't on the ground yet. I looked down. I was at least a hundred feet in the air.

There is only one word to describe this situation.

Shit.

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 **Alright, please, write a review and tell me what you thought about this chapter.**

 **I know Clark seems a little.. okay, a little more than little.. OOC, but don't worry. He won't be like this forever.**

 **Or will he?**

 **Nah, just kidding, he won't.**

 **See you again:)**


	3. Chapter 2 - Cadmus

**Hi. Sorry it took me this long to update - my current focus is The Adventures of Clark Kent, as I think some of you already know.**

 **Anyway, I read all your reviews and one of them (or two) asked me 'How can Clark be so mentally developed after years of imprisonment?' - and, my dear reader, you have a point. The only thing I can tell you is that you'll see:)**

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Chapter 2 - Cadmus

 _Shit. Okay, Clark, stay calm. You'll survive this. It's gonna be okay,_ I tried to comfort myself. It didn't work.

From the back of my mind, I somehow noticed that it was night – weird, you don't see the light of the day for a long time and you lose your sense of orientation.

Still, even though I was pretty sure I was pummeling to my death, I felt.. content, somehow. Like I've done something right for the first time in my life. I felt the wind on my body, and I felt.. free. Amazing.

Still, I somehow managed to turn around and hit the pavement with my feet, not my entire body. Somehow, my feet managed to absorb the fall, and it didn't hurt. Much.

Unfortunately, that couldn't be said for the rest of my body – running through a wall is not something I'd like to do ever again. At last, I was free.

The pain in my whole body started subsiding, and somehow, I felt stronger. Like when I was back in Kansas, in front of my parents' house, running around with a red blanket wrapped around my neck. And when I accidentally hit the side of Pa's truck, creating a dent in it.

I couldn't wait to see them again. I hoped they still remembered me. It's been seventeen years, after all.

Just then, I heard the unmistakable sound of an alarm – it was extremely loud, it felt as if my ears were about to pop. They didn't, fortunately. But I knew I didn't have any time to spare.

I started running – I didn't care where. Somewhere. Away from there. I hoped Dr. Hamilton was okay – I didn't hurt him badly, but I was afraid about the consequences of my escape. If they somehow found out that he played a part in it.. well, I'd rather not think about it. But I couldn't stop.

I tried to stop thinking about it again, and much to my surprise, it worked – the happiness was short lived, though, as about three seconds later, I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. At first, I thought it was nothing – I could pass it for a mosquito or something, even though the weather wasn't so hot. There was a huge amount of mosquitos back in Smallville. Pa hated summer because of that – otherwise, he loved it.

But then, the pain spread through my lower back into my entire body. Forget running through a wall – I would take it any day over this.

I could barely see straight. It felt as though every part of my body, even the smallest, was bearing torn to shreds, then reassembled again and then torn to shreds again. The burning feeling didn't help it, either.

Before I could even register what happened, my face hit the ground, as my legs refused to obey me. Or maybe I didn't give them the order to move. The only thing I could focus on was the pain.

Pain. Pain. Pain.

I heard loud screams in the distance, and only a second later have I realized that they were my own.

It could've been seconds or it could've been hours – seemed the same to me – before the pain finally started subsiding and my eyelids started getting heavy. I welcomed unconsciousness with open arms.

Big mistake.

* * *

My eyelids felt incredibly heavy – that was the first thought that came to me when I gained consciousness again. I felt that I was lying horizontally.

Then, the smell hit me. It was both familiar and unfamiliar. I think there is a word for it. Deja something.

It smelled like back ho—wait. No way I'm going to think about that hellhole as my home. Nope.

It smelled like the place I've been living in for the past seventeen years. Yes. That's better. But it wasn't entire like that. There was another smell. I smelled it before, when I was younger – when they try to, ehm, dissect me, for the first time. Well, before that, actually. When I came into that laboratory for the first time, the ground was stained with it. My sense of smell used to be very high, because I remember that I gagged back then.

The smell of blood.

I felt something on my arms, legs, chest and forehead. They strapped me. Go figure.

I figured that I was probably sedated, as my body didn't want to listen to me. I was strapped on a table before, but I could always move at least some part of my body. Not the case today. I tried to move my hand. I couldn't. I tried to move my head. I couldn't. I tried to open my eyes – again. Surprise, I couldn't.

A tinge of panic surged through me.

 _Please, don't let me be back there,_ I thought. Well, pleaded. That's the better term describing this situation.

But I was awake – I could hear and smell everything around me. I heard footsteps from the outside of the room. They were heavy – which meant it was probably a man.

Unless it was some heavy woman. I don't discriminate.

To be honest, I was scared. I almost always am. The thing is – I can't show them that. I can't show them weakness.

The door opened, and I felt the scent of lemon. Probably the man's perfume.

Nothing happened for about a minute. Then, in deep, cold voice, the man said, „Don't pretend to be asleep, Kryptonian. I can see the change in your breathing."

I tried to talk back to him, but I couldn't. What the hell is Kryptonian?

„You are probably wondering why you cannot move, Kryptonian. Or would you prefer Subject Zero?"

I felt anger boil inside of me. I hated when they called me that. I was no lab experiment of yours. They may treat me like that, but I. Was. Not. I'd punch the guy in the face if I could move.

„Well, Zero, it's a new, prototype version of LuthorCorp sedative. Based on a neurotoxin. It is strong enough to immobilize five adult elephants."

I wanted to ask what LuthorCorp is, but to be honest, I didn't care much.

„With your metabolism, I assume it will wear out in about.. 10 minutes. For now, just listen," he said, and his tone changed slightly.

„I won't tell you my name, because it doesn't matter – you will die, anyway. You are not in your old home anymore."

Well, that was a relief.

„However," shit, „that doesn't mean we'll go easy on you, Kryptonian. We know more about you than you think. Back there, in 33.1, the idiots didn't know what they had right under their noses. But we do. We know how valuable you are. Your physiology is.. unique. Even among the various aliens we have already... experimented on, if you will.

They knew you were an alien – no doubt about that. However, they didn't know just what kind of an alien you were. Ancient. Powerful. Ours," he said, his voice got harder at the last three words.

Ancient? What did he mean by that? Yeah, I knew I was an alien. Not very hard to figure when they call you that every day.

Why did he call me a Kryptonian? I had a nagging feeling at the bottom of my stomach.

I knew why he called me that.

„Welcome to Cadmus."

He then walked over to me – I could smell the lemon scent getting stronger and stronger.

„Sleep, Kryptonian. It will be the last peaceful moment of your life," he whispered into my ear. A chill ran down my spine.

Oh, if only I could talk. I'd call him names that if Ma were here, she'd wash my mouth with a soap. Been there, done that.

With that thought, I slipped into the world of blackness (or, blacker blackness) again.

* * *

When I woke again, I could finally move. Somewhat. I could move my head in all directions, and I could open my eyes. Otherwise, I was as immobile as before. I noticed that I was lying vertically, this time.

Lucky me.

I was alone in a dark room. The room was cold, even for me. And believe me, I'm used to cold. Even in the dark, I could see that the machines over here were modern.

How, you may ask? Deductive reasoning, of course.

The machines were prettier than the ones in.. what did the man call it? 33.1? Yes. 33.1.

At least now I know how it's called. Yay.

The room was spacious, with high ceiling – at least 12 feet tall. It smelled clean – like when they clean blood from the floor. Too clean. I didn't like it.

I heard a door open and I groaned.

 _Seriously? How many times do we have to go through this? Me waking up, someone opening the door, hearing heavy footsteps, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera._

„I see you are awake. Very good," said a voice. I shuddered involuntarily. From the cold, of course. Nah. I could describe the voice in many words. Cold. Hard. Calculating. Cruel. Maniac. Apathetic. Deep.

But the best description was only one word.

Scary.

The lights flicked on, and I had to close my eyes for a few seconds. The light was blinding. When I finally opened them, it took me a few seconds to adjust.

Once they adjusted, they were met with a pair of cold green. The man was bald, his eyebrows were completely black, and his lips broke into a cold grin when, I guess, he saw a flicker of fear in my eyes.

Immediately, I forced my face, eyes and my whole body to harden. To become a mask of calm. An unreadable expression.

It worked, because he sneered at me and backed away a little.

He was pretty tall, and had an athletic build – unlike me – the Cheeky Dickhead used to say that I am a definition of scrawny. The man was wearing a white lab coat. I didn't like those. Usually, it meant bad news.

„Welcome, Kryptonian. I have heard of your kind. Such a shame you are the last one," he said coldly, and grinned again when my eyes widened.

The last of my kind?

He couldn't mean.. no, no, no, no, nonononono.

„Oh, yes, Kryptonian. Your planet is gone. You are the last one. You are all alone," the man said.

I finally understood what this was all about. Just like always. He tried to break me mentally.

„That may be true, bald-face," I said, and his eyebrows scrunched in irritation, „but that doesn't mean I'm going to be broken."

I send him a kiss. I know, pretty daring, considering I was scared out of my mind – or, _scared shitless_ , that sounds better. But that doesn't matter.

He slapped me. It stung. A little.

Okay, a little more than a little.

„Don't play games with me, Kryptonian. The idiots back in 33.1 didn't know what they were doing. They could barely hurt you. But I know how to do it. In fact, I came here from the other side of the country, just for you."

I awwed. He slapped me again.

„I'm going to punish those idiots, in due time. However, now is the time we play," he said and disappeared behind me.

I heard something pop open – a briefcase, I thought. Funny. I hadn't noticed that before. When he appeared in front of me, my muscles spasmed involuntarily. It hurt like hell. In fact, I felt it before. Only this time, it hurt a little less.

„Wh-what is this?" I gasped.

He helped a piece of a green rock in front of me. The closer he put it, the worse the pain became.

„That, my dear Kryptonian, is what I like to call, a Kryptonite. A radioactive piece of your homeworld. It doesn't affect humans. But Kryptonians, like you, on the other hand.." he left the sentence hanging.

I started sweating heavily. I felt a horrible pain in my stomach, like I was gonna throw up. I made a mental note to throw up on him, if that happened. Even though I didn't know if I would throw up something – my stomach was pretty much empty.

„It hurts, doesn't it?" he asked, and I heard the edge in his voice.

The bastard was enjoying it. Oh, when I get my hands on hi—I felt a sharp pain in my torso. It started from the upper part down to the lower.

When I looked down, I saw my skin was cut open.

„Yo-you've got t-to be kid-kidding me," I groaned.

His grin widened, but he didn't say anything.

He leaned over and punched a red button, and I felt myself changing positions – from vertical to horizontal. Great. That could mean only one thing.

The bastard was going to experiment on me.

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 **I know this chapter is short and there was barely any action in it, but I promise, it will get better. :)**

 **See ya around:)**


	4. Chapter 3 - Free

**Hi! Okay, this chapter is the shortest yet, and I'm sorry. I finally picked this story up and decided to do something with it. This chapter is short, but I promise the next one will be twice as long. Thank you for reading this.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League.**

* * *

Chapter 3 - Free

The next few hours were pretty much hell. The bald guy, who I started to call baldie, much to his annoyance, beat me up multiple times with the _kryptonite_ rock, as he called it, just to see how my body would react to it.

The answer? Not very well, but better than I would have expected.

I noticed that the pain was much more bearable over time. I was becoming immune to it – not that I would tell him that. My muscles weren't spasming that much, but I kept tensing them so that he wouldn't notice.

He decided to take a break, then, just as I was about to lose my consciousness. Still, I couldn't help but notice that he was sweating, now and he looked tired.

„Glad to see I'm not the only one it takes its toll on," I mumbled to him and grinned. My lip broke at the grin and started to bleed, making me taste the blood. Not a funny experience, but still, I've survived worse.

„Now, now, Kryptonian," he grinned coldly. His voice was as cold and emotionless as ever, but I met him head-on. I didn't back down, although, admittedly, I would be shitting my pants if I had something in my body besides muscles, bones, blood, and nothing else.

He slapped me. Again. It stung. Again.

I spat in his face.

Again.

„You think I'm afraid of you, don't you?" I glared at him with the force of a thousand Cheeky Dickheads you've met in the first chapter. He glared back. „That would be the right assumption. I may be scared of you, baldie," _slap,_ „but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up. I will get out of here."

He clapped sarcastically. „A very inspiring speech, Kryptonian. However, it does not change a thing. Now, let's see how you handle electricity."

My eyes widened. He couldn't be serious. Except that he could be. He put something sticky on my skin, it was attached to cables which lead to a ... was that a freaking car battery? You've got to be kidding me. The whole place looked sleek and modern and everything, and he chose an auto battery? Come on. I didn't have the chance to say anything before I felt the electricity surge through me, making my muscles clench involuntarily. I couldn't help but scream from the pain.

Every cell in my body screamed in pain, just like I did. My vision turned blurry before my voice gave up on me and the only thing that could be heard was baldie's laughing over the sound of electricity coursing through my body.

Just before I could lose consciousness ... or lose my life, for that matter ... the alarm went off. It would've made me cringe if I wasn't cringing from pain already. The electricity stopped and my muscles finally relaxed. I lifted my head and looked at Luthor, but through my blurry eyes, I could only see his silhouette. He was moving around frantically. I was breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath.

The door opened and someone stepped inside. I blinked a couple of times and my vision cleared a little. It was a woman. Definitely a woman. She wasn't a scientist – I've never seen a scientist dressed like that. It looked like a swimsuit one of the inmates back in 33.1 showed me in some magazine, except that it looked like an armor of sorts. Unfortunately, I couldn't see her face properly.

The room was so quiet, even baldie stood still, that I could hear the silent gasp she let out as she turned her head to look at me. Safe to say that my ego took a hit.

Who was she, anyway? Based on baldie's reaction, she was an enemy of his, which would most likely make her an ally of mine.

„LUTHOR!" she bellowed. She had an accent, unlike any other I've heard before, and some of my inmates had strange accents. I could literally feel baldie, or Luthor, apparently, flinch. I grinned. Who's the weak one now, huh?

„What have you done?!" she charged at him and proceeded to punch him in the face. Sometimes, I really like my eidetic memory. I'll replay this one for the rest of my life. He fell to the ground, knocked out cold. The woman then looked at me with a hard look, her eyes almost black with anger. She was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire, locked up life, and at least four times more intimidating than Luthor, so excuse my flinch. Again. After she noticed it, she seemed to realize what caused it, and her eyes immediately softened to a Kansas sky blue with an expression of compassion and sympathy – a look I've only seen on my mother's face.

„Hey," she said softly, her voice low and gentle, so unlike the one she used on baldie just a few seconds ago. She slowly put her hand on my face, and I automatically leaned into it. She smiled, and I then noticed that she unstrapped me from the 'table' with her other hand. She was strong. „We're getting you out of here."

I would've fallen flat on my face if she hadn't caught me, then. She helped me get up, as I was too weak to do that on my own, and together, we slowly walked out of the room. The hallways were sterile white. Ew.

It wasn't long before two other people caught up to us, both dressed a little funny. „Who's that?" one of them asked. He was wearing a red suit with some circular symbol on his chest. It looked like a ... lightning bolt? Okay, whatever. The other one had a dark grey suit of armor, similar to the woman's, except it covered his whole body, and he had a black cape and a cawl. He had a bat on his chest.

„A _former_ prisoner," the woman answered. Former prisoner. Former. The realization sank in. I was getting out of here. After years, I was finally going to see my parents. I smiled – a full, toothy smile, an honest one, not a sarcastic one I used to give to the scientists. The lightning guy seemed to notice this.

„He's smiling, Diana," he said. So the woman's name was Diana. Don't get me wrong, the batguy's name could've been Diana, too, but somehow I doubted it. She looked at me, and smiled at the gratitude and relief in my eyes.

The lightning guy wrapped an arm around me, too, helping Diana support my weight – not that she needed it, he said immediately after she gave him a look, but that it would apparently make me more comfortable. It did, a little bit.

„So, what's your name?" asked Diana with a gentle, reassuring smile.

„Clark Kent," I answered immediately, my voice hoarse. It felt so good, telling someone my real name. Not Subject Zero. Not Kryptonian. Just Clark Kent.

„Pleased to meet you, Clark. My name's Diana of Themyscira, known as Wonder Woman to the world."

I smiled. Wonder Woman. Seemed right. „Thank you for saving me," I croaked out, „you are definitely one wonder of a woman."

„Dude's been locked up for who knows how long and he still manages to make puns. I like him," said the lightning guy. „By the way, I'm Flash, the fastest man alive. And this prude over here," he motioned at the batguy with his free hand, „is Batman, also known as the dark knight or world's greatest detective. Or the most boring person in the universe. You pick."

Batman growled at him.

„Was I the only one..?"

„Yes," answered Diana after I left the question hanging in the air, „the other are ... they're dead."

A sense of dread overcame me after she said it. I was getting out of here, but no one else was.

We finally made it outside – it was afternoon, and the sun hit me in the face with full force. I closed them out of sheer reflex. My skin started to tingle. My whole body did. I opened my eyes, looked at Diana and Flash, and let go. Flash let go immediately, while Diana reluctantly. I stepped forward and spread my eyes wide, letting the sun's rays hit me. I didn't know what was happening to me or why, but I felt like I was supposed to do this a long time ago. Like the sun has always been a part of me, whether it shone on me or not.

I smiled. All the pain started to disappear. I felt stronger. I heard someone gasp behind me. My eyes shot open and I realized I was floating almost two feet in the air. Turning around, I smiled at my saviors and sheepishly asked, „Would you mind helping me down?"

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 **Okay, so, Diana finally appeared. Please, tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review, it would really make my day! :)**

 **See you around:)**


	5. Chapter 4 - Home

**Hi, so here I am again with another chapter! :) I promised this one would be twice as long as the last one, and ... it is! Yay! :D Anyway, I hope you'll like this chapter. I'm not sure if I'm happy with it myself, but I rewrote it twice. Huh.**

 **Anyway, special thanks to StevenBodner for pointing out my grammar errors in the latest chapter and giving me some tips - I really appreciate it.**

 **Thank you for all of your reviews. They really made my day(s) and made me really excited. I'm so, so glad you like this story, even though not many people like 1st person POV.**

 **Alright, without further ado, let's get to the disclaimer and then to the chapter. Disclaimer: I don't own Superman, Wonder Woman, or any DC Comics characters.**

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Chapter 4 - Home

Ten minutes, a freaked out Flash and a flying Diana later, I was on the ground once again. I didn't miss the suspicious look Batman gave me, followed by a chill running down my back. Something about this Batman wasn't adding up – call it an act of instinct, but I didn't trust him. Yet.

I felt okay, still a little woozy, but otherwise fine, but Diana didn't have any of it. She helped me get onto some plane – Flash called it the Javelin, if I heard him correctly. Diana sat down next to me and helped me fasten the seat belt, and while I could do it myself, I was grateful that she actually tried to help me for no real reason except for the fact that she cared.

I noticed her looking at my scars a few times, but I didn't say anything.

Flash told me we were going to a place called the Hall of Justice, whatever it was. They explained who they are – Justice League, an assemblage of superpowered people who try to protect the world and people in it. Diana and Flash smiled at me reassuringly while Batman just went on with piloting the Javelin.

Still, the surprise in their eyes was evident – they didn't know who I was, except for my name, and were clearly confused. So, with a clear of my throat, I said, „I guess you are much even more confused than I am."

Diana, while looking at me from the corner of her eye, whipped her head around and looked at me. I held her gaze, not breaking eye contact, and really, it wasn't that hard of a thing. People could lose themselves in those sky blue eyes of hers, holding so much sympathy and compassion, and yet so much fierceness and strength. They reminded me of my mother's eyes, which held the same level of compassion in them.

She cut off Flash, who was trying to say something, with a soft, „You'll explain it to us later, okay?"

Not knowing how to answer the question, I nodded, and all of us fell into a comfortable silence again. I let my mind wander – were my parents okay? Were they even alive? Would they be happy to see me? 17 years is a long time.

No, I couldn't think like that.

The rest of the ride was silent, and what seemed like minutes, though it was probably hours, Batman finally told us we've arrived to our destination – the Hall of Justice.

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this – a horde of people was standing there, with cameras – they looked something akin to the one my dad had, except they were bigger and looked even more modern. Flash explained to me that they were reporters, people who collect, write and distribute news. Okay. Why not?

Once we were inside, I said, „This isn't your real headquarters, is it?"

The surprise was clear even on Batman's face, and I had to do my best not to smirk. I looked at Flash and Diana from the corner of my eye, and I saw her smirking and him looking even more surprised than Batman. The guy couldn't hide his emotions even through the mask. „How did you know?"

His voice was suspicious once again, and I really didn't like it. I decided to answer him, if only for the sake of my own amusement. „I'm not that stupid, Batman. It's too public, too knowledgeable. Too dangerous. This place is most likely the official headquarters for the public where you sometimes make an appearance just for the sake of it."

Diana grinned, and in response, my lips quirked upward, too. „You certainly aren't," she said. I still wondered (ha!) what kind of accent she had. Some of my former inmates in 33.1 were from Europe or Asia, and one or two were from Australia, but their accent was nothing even similar to hers. I decided to ask her that later.

„You're right," answered Batman, „we have orbital satellite called the Watchtower – the real headquarters. The teleporters are here."

Having no idea what teleporters were, I decided to follow the heroes. They stopped in front of some tube, and a memory flashed through my mind.

„ _No, no! Please, don't do this!"_

 _The scientist cackled and answered in a horrible accent. „Oh, don't vory, Subject Ziro. Ve vil not let you drovn. Most likely."_

„ _Why are you doing this?" I asked, my childish voice full of fear and ... anger._

„ _We just want to know how well are you going to handle the pressure," answered another one, his voice falsely sweet._

 _I was trying to break out of my shackles with all my might. „It won't work, Subject Zero. Even your gravity-enhanced strength is no match for the Nth metal."_

 _My chest was heaving with suppressed sobs, and with a last grin and push of a button, I was—_

„Clark? CLARK!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder and flinched. The hand immediately retracted from my shoulder. Opening my eyes, I was met with a concerned pair of sky blues. „Are you okay?" she whispered.

I took a few deep breaths. „Y-Yeah," I stuttered. I looked at the wall – a hole the size of my fist embedded in it. „Wh-what happened?"

„You had a flashback," answered Batman a couple of feet away. „Most likely an episode of your Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder."

„W-why now? Never had one of ... these ... before," I asked, the stuttering slowly but surely disappearing.

„It's called _post_ -traumatic for a reason," he said, and Diana shot him a look. He shut up immediately.

„Clark, what triggered it?" she asked quietly, trying to keep her voice as soft as possible, probably from the fear of triggering another one.

With a deep breath, I whispered „I-I can't. I'm sorry. Not ... not yet."

I still saw myself in the tube full of water, the pressure trying to squeeze me into a ball of Kryptonian pulp, and the smile of two scientists claiming it to be for the good of mankind. Good of mankind, my ass.

Diana nodded in understanding, and gave me a small smile. She looked at the teleporter and then back at me – she was smart. She figured it had something to do with it. She stood up and offered me a hand, which I accepted, and helped me on my feet.

„Ready?" she asked.

I steeled myself and looked at her. „Yeah."

Flash went first, just to show me how it worked and that there was nothing to be afraid of. Diana went, then, and told me she'd meet me on the other side with a teasing smile. I cracked a smile at that. She had a sense of humor.

And then, it was my turn. I looked at Batman, who nodded and tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out as a grimace. The man probably smiled even less than I did.

I felt a prickle all over my body – not unlike the one I felt when I felt the sun's rays touch me – and when I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of four other people, two of which were Diana and Flash. I smiled and left the teleporter. The two other people introduced themselves as Black Canary and Green Arrow.

„Nice to meet you. I'm Clark Kent," I said. Green Arrow's eyes went a little wide.

„Clark Joseph Kent?" he asked, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

„Yes. How did you know?"

He looked at me and then at Diana. Why was everyone looking at Diana? Well, she had the aura of a leader, but still. She looked just as surprised as I felt.

„It was all over the news. 17 years ago, a four year old boy was kidnapped from his parents from a small farm in ... Kansas, was it? Yeah, Kansas. They still haven't found him. The boy's name was Clark Joseph Kent."

I felt tears prickle in the corners of my eyes. „Y-Yeah. That's me."

Feeling Diana's eyes on me, I looked at her, and saw the pure horror on her face. „17 years?" she whispered.

I nodded, unable to speak. I looked at Green Arrow, „Are they still alive? My ... my parents?"

„I'm going to find out," said Diana, „You need some clothes and a shower."

I looked down at myself – I was wearing a pair of dirty white pants from 33.1, and had no shirt on. And was barefoot. Nice. I smiled sheepishly and nodded. It was then that I noticed Black Canary hadn't said a word since I came there. I looked at her and saw her gaze was lower. On my abdomen. Where I had the scars. I wrapped my arms around it self-consciously, and Black Canary seemed to break out of her gaze. She sent me an apologetic look, and I smiled in return.

„I'll lend you some clothes," said Flash, „come on."

„" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „"

Flash gave me a pair of jeans, a _Central City Rocks!_ t-shirt and some shoes that were too small for me. The shirt was a tad bit short, and yet too big. Flash was much more muscular than I was, even though he was very lean, and a few inches smaller than me. I appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

I took the shirt off and looked at myself in the mirror. I was clean-shaven, courtesy of 33.1, and had a buzz cut, as Flash put it. I looked like an idiot. My chest and abdomen was littered with scars and burns, but they seemed a little bit smaller than before. I actually kind of liked them. I didn't like how I came to have them, but I saw it as a sign – a sign of strength. A sign of a survivor, a warrior.

I was still pretty much a walking skeleton. With a sigh, I put on the shirt once more, brushed my teeth, and left the room.

Diana was talking about something with Batman, who seemed to arrive while I was changing. They stopped talking the moment they saw me in their peripheral vision.

Diana beamed at me, „I found your parents."

I decided not to tell her that I knew where my parents most likely were.

„" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „"

Diana and I flew over to Smallville, Kansas together, and since I didn't know how to control my flying ability yet, Diana carried me, much to her amusement.

Once we landed on the Kent farm, I was assaulted by memories. Good ones. Playing with my dad, accidentally bending dad's tools, mom's apple pie ... I was almost overwhelmed. Diana put her hand on my shoulder as a sign of comfort, and I was grateful for that. Together, we made out way over to the front door of a yellowish house that didn't change at all since the time I saw it last.

I looked at Diana, and she took my hand in hers and squeezed it. And with a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

I was a nervous wreck, I can admit that. Seeing my parents after seventeen years does that to a human. Well ... alien. Whatever.

Diana let go of my hand and stepped back when we both heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door.

The door opened and I almost broke down then and there. „Can I h—"

The words died on her lips as she put her hand over them. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and I had no doubt that she recognized me. Time has not been kind to her, but she was still as beautiful as I remember her – for a four year old boy, the most beautiful person in the world was his mother. „JONATHAN!" she yelled. A few seconds later, a man with deep brown eyes and graying hair appeared, and once he looked at Martha and then me, he stopped dead in his tracks.

„C-Clark?" he whispered quietly. I nodded, unable to speak. It all happened to fast, then. Suddenly, I found myself being hugged by my parents – my parents, whom I haven't seen in seventeen years. My parents, whom I've been taken from forcefully. My parents, who never gave up hope.

The dam broke and I let the tears fall. Broken sobs ran through me and shuddered my whole body, but I didn't care.

I was holding onto them tightly, afraid that if I let go of them, it would all disappear and I would wake up, alone, in 33.1, or worse, with Luthor.

A few minutes later, when we let go of each other, I turned around and saw Diana, smiling from ear to ear, her eyes shining with her own tears. My body was working on its own, and I immediately enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. She seemed a little bit surprised, but her response was almost immediate, and she wrapped her arms around me, too.

„Thank you," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. „Thank you so much."

She held me tighter in response, and when I felt wetness on my shoulder, I realized that she was crying, too. And somehow, we all ended up in a group hug – me, my parents, and Diana.

For the first time in years, I felt safe. And I was home.

Five minutes later, Diana and I were sitting next to each other in the kitchen, while my parents sat on the other side of us. My mom was still crying, but she was smiling hugely, and my dad was looking pretty much the same. Mom held my hand tightly across the table, and I relished the contact. I felt giddy from the happiness.

„W-we thought you ... we thought you were dead," said dad quietly. I smiled and grabbed his hand, too.

„I'm not that easy to kill," I answered. I saw Diana smile from the corner of my eye. „Plus, I owe it all to her. She found me. She saved me."

Was she ... blushing? Wow.

„You survived on your own," she said, her expression honest, „by your own force of will. You are a warrior, Clark. The strongest one I've ever seen."

Now it was my turn to blush. Still, there was one thing I wanted to ask my parents. „Mom, dad?"

They looked at me with questioning looks. Taking a deep breath, I asked, „One of the scientists said I was a ... Kryptonian. An alien. Is ... is that true?"

Suddenly, their expressions turned from questioning and happy to solemn. Diana looked surprised. It was my mom who broke the silence, „Yes. We found you when you were a few months old. You landed not far from here, actually. We were coming home from a convention, I believe," dad nodded, „when we saw something land on Mayer's field."

„Me," I whispered. They nodded.

„Yes. You. We were afraid the government would come for you, but for years, no one came. We finally thought you were safe and that no one knew about you, but then..."

„They came," I said, my voice shaking slightly. They nodded again. I let go of their hands and put mine on my lap.

„I'm an alien," I whispered. „The last of my kind."

Diana interlaced our hands under the table and squeezed it tightly. I had a feeling that a normal man's hand would already be not broken, but crushed. I squeezed back, the warmth of her hand calming me down. I felt like breaking down again.

„I'm not one of you," I said so quietly that only Diana heard. Her head whipped so hard I thought she'd get whiplash. Don't ask me how I know what whiplash is, I've seen some weird things.

„You are, Clark. Doesn't matter where you come from. You are a living, breathing being. You have rights, just like everyone else." I felt truly touched by her words, and I smiled at her. She smiled in return. „Plus, take it this way. We already have a Martian on our team."

„A Martian? Like from Mars?"

She smiled. „Yes. A Martian from Mars."

Diana then explained to me who J'onn J'onzz was, and that he was also the only surviving member of his species. She then said that she was an Amazon, an immortal warrior from the island of Themyscira, and that nearly all the members of the League were metahumans. I've already met a lot of metahumans in 33.1. Some of them took me under their wing, especially when I was young, but most of the time, I was hidden from them. I was Subject Zero, after all.

The name sent a chill down my back, and I shook my head, desperate for the thought to disappear.

We had lunch, then, and I had approximately five helpings. Mom offered me one more, saying that I was too skinny for my own good, and I agreed with her about that. I was too skinny. After lunch, we went to the living room, and Diana excused herself when her earpiece buzzed.

„So, you and Wonder Woman, eh?" asked Martha with a teasing smile. I felt myself going red. Seriously?

The teasing atmosphere was replaced by a heavy one when dad asked me the question I honestly didn't know the answer for.

„What happened to you, son?" I didn't how to answer, because really. What happened to me?

„A lot," I decided to answer. „I don't want to go into details. I'm sorry."

They smiled at me reassuringly and patted my shoulder. „It's alright, honey. Just know that whenever you're ready to talk, we're here. We'll always be here for you."

„Thank you," I hugged them. „Just know that not all of it was bad. I met some good people, too."

Diana came back a few minutes later. „I'm sorry. Clark, can you come with me for a minute?"

I shrugged and nodded. Once we were out of earshot, Diana started, „Batman would like to do some tests on you."

I stopped listening after she said _tests._ Tests. I started breathing in short gasps, and Diana seemed to realize that something was wrong.

„Clark," she said softly, „it's okay. You don't have to do it. Calm down, please." She squeezed my hand, and sank down on the ground with me. I shut my eyes tight, only to see another memory of _them_ doing _tests_ on me.

„Clark, open your eyes. Please," she pleaded. And so I did. I saw her eyes, full of concern and fear – not for her, but for me. „Breathe with me."

She put my hand on on her chest. „In and out, Clark. In and out." She breathed deeply, and I followed her.

In. Out.

In. Out.

In. Out.

I felt myself calming down. When I looked at her, I saw pure relief on her face. And then guilt. „I'm so sorry, Clark," she said quietly, looking down.

„It's okay," I said. „You didn't know."

Everything was quiet for a few seconds, and then I said, „I don't trust them."

She looked at me with a questioning look. „The League, I mean. Not yet. I trust you," I clarified. And it's true. I didn't trust the League yet. You'd have trust issues, too. My whole life, I didn't know who to trust. But I trusted Diana – I don't know if it was the honest and open expression she always wore, or if it was the compassion in her eyes. I trusted her, and she seemed to realize how big that was for me.

„I do," she said. „You don't have to do this, Clark. But the League only wants to help. We want to help you to learn control. We don't want to experiment on you or get something from it. The only thing we want to do is to help."

I thought about it for a minute. She had a point. I didn't know the extent of my powers. Even in 33.1, I've always been strong. Much stronger than the average human. Hell, I broke through a wall and survived a hundred feet fall. And that was in 33.1. Who knew how powerful I could potentially become? Plus, Diana said the League was here to do good, and I trusted Diana. With that in mind, I answered, „Yes."

The smile she gave me would outshine a thousand suns.

„" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „"

„I will come here tomorrow and escort you to the Watchtower," said Diana after explaining everything to my parents, who reluctantly agreed. They knew about the League and they knew it was here to be a force for good. Plus, they remembered how strong I was when I was four. „I will be with you most of the time," she said, and I sent her a grateful look. She smiled. „You can come there anytime, if you wish so."

After saying goodbyes, Diana flew away, leaving me with my parents. „So, uh.. any clothes I could borrow?" I asked, with a smile on my face. Mom rolled her eyes and dad smiled amusingly.

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 **Alright, so, please, read, favorite, follow, review, do whatever you like. Tell me what you thought of this chapter, it'd really make my day, and would most likely make me giddier than Clark is right now. Hehe.**

 **See you next time:)**


	6. Chapter 5 - The Last Kryptonian

**Hi, thank you for all of your reviews, you are unbelievably kind:) I love the fact that you like this story, it means a lot to me:)**

 **Anyway, I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with this chapter, but to be honest, I'm not completely happy with all of my chapters - guess it's the self-criticism or something. Anyway, here's the new chapter, I hope you'll like it:)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Superman. Or Wonder Woman. Or anything from the DC Comics. Sad, really.**

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Chapter 5 - The Last Kryptonian

My parents and I talked afterwards for what felt like hours, and only later did we realize that we really did talk for hours. While I wasn't ready to open up about all the things they've done to me, I was able to talk to them about some of the inmates I've met. Like the Terror twins, Tommy and Tuppence. They put me in a cell with them when I was four, just weeks after they took me. To be honest, I was afraid of them at first, considering the fact that they were extremely intimidating and super-strong, though not as strong as me, even at the age of four. They took me under their wing when they saw me – tear-stained cheeks, puffy red eyes with pure fear in them, and, of course, shaking like a leaf.

„They taught me how to read and write," I said to my parents. It was obvious they were trying not to cry, and it was hard for me, too. „Not everything was that bad in there. They were good. They helped me, they took care of me. They cared about me."

Of course, I decided not to mention the part where the assholes took the twins and I haven't seen them again. I hoped they were okay, even though, deep inside, I knew they most likely weren't.

Since then, I decided not to attach to anyone in that hellhole. Attachment only brought pain when they took them away. Then, of course, years later, Dr. Hamilton showed up. He helped me escape. Or at least, he helped me escape only for me to be caught once again. And died because of me. That only proved the point.

Now, however ... now, that I was free? I could finally let myself get attached to someone again. Because even though I barely had any education, I knew that it wasn't healthy being always on my own.

Still, the talk with my parents helped me. I felt easier after that, even though I didn't tell them everything. I was sure that in time, I would be able to open up. If not to my parents, then I didn't know whom else I could open up to.

Later, when we decided to call it a night, I was happy to see that my parents didn't change my old room at all. Okay, maybe not that happy, considering the fact that bed was a little too small for me. Dad seemed to realize this and offered me the couch, saying that he would go into town and buy a bigger bed tomorrow.

That night, I only had two nightmares, which was pretty much a success on its own. One was the one I had before – about the couple, Jor and the other woman, presumably my mother, putting me in the pod. I'd always thought it was just a pigment of my imagination. I realized that it was, in fact, not. It was a memory. A real memory.

The other one I'd rather not talk about, though when I woke up, panting, cold sweat all over my body. My heart beating incredibly fast and loud in my ears. I realized that I only sweat when I'm having nightmares. Huh. My parents were there. helping me with the after effect. And I couldn't be more grateful.

The next day (or really, the same day, if you consider me waking up to the nightmares), I woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes, something I haven't smelt in years. Sad, really. My stomach immediately made itself known, and I was pretty sure that it would be able to wake up the whole house if my parents weren't obviously up already. I checked the clock on the wall and was pretty shocked to see that it was 11 AM already. I went to bed at 9 PM yesterday, and I woke up once at 12 AM and then again at 2 AM.

„Good morning, sleepyhead," said my dad affectionately (and a little amusingly) from the kitchen. I smiled. It felt nice.

„Mornin'," I grumbled. When I stood up, I felt the sun on my body, and my skin started to tingle. My whole body, really. I could get used to this.

„Wonder Woman called, and how she got out number, I have no idea," said mom as she came out of the kitchen, wearing a _Kiss The Cook_ apron, „and I honestly don't even want to know. She said she'd be here to pick you up at 1:30, so you have some time to eat and do whatever you like. Good morning, honey."

She kissed my cheek, and I smiled down at her. I remember when I was a kid and I used to cling to her, wrapping my small arms around her legs when she was going to leave the room or ... or basically trying to do anything.

Mom led me to the kitchen and when I sat down, she presented at least a dozen pancakes in front of me, along with some scrambled eggs and fresh bacon on a second plate. I thanked her and dug in, and really, it was one of the best things I've ever tasted, though that's not saying much. Still, mom kept adding pancakes on my plate, and I had no complaints about that.

„Thanks, Ma," I said after I finished, the name rolling out of my mouth automatically. Her eyes glazed over and she gave me a watery smile.

„You're welcome, Clark."

„" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „"

After the most amazing breakfast I've had since ... ever, I brushed my teeth and combed through my nonexistent hair, though it seemed to be growing out. I liked it that way. I looked like an idiot with that buzz cut.

Pa went into town earlier and after ordering a new bed, which would come in a few days, he also bought some clothes for me, since his wouldn't be a fit – I was a few inches taller than him and was much skinnier. Pa called it 'malnourishment' after being imprisoned for years.

Almost too soon, I heard the telltale knock on the door, and the sound of Diana's voice greeting my mom and dad. I went downstairs and greeted her as well. She wasn't in her usual Wondersuit, as I started to call it, but in a pair of formfitting jeans and a white t-shirt.

„Hey, Clark. Ready to go? Are you going, too, Mr. and Mrs. Kent?" she asked with a polite smile, and her eyes seemed to be glowing in the sunlight.

„We aren't, unfortunately," said my mom with a smile on her own, albeit a bit disappointed, „we still have a farm to run. We'll visit during the next one."

I nodded, telling her that I was ready. Once outside, I said goodbye to my parents, giving them a tight hug and almost cracking one of dad's ribs. Diana picked me up, since I still had no idea how to use my flying ability, and together, we flew over to the nearest teleporter to the Watchtower.

Once in the Watchtower, I was met with pairs of curious eyes, both from the heroes and the civilian staff, which, apparently, the tower also had. Diana said that they have already prepared everything for the tests, and that they would like to do a scan of my body, take a DNA sample, and, of course, test my abilities. I nodded, though I wasn't really sure about the DNA sample. Still, Diana's presence somehow calmed me down, and when she led me to a sterile room, which was apparently used as an infirmary, I couldn't help but feel extremely grateful for the fact that she stayed with me.

A few minutes later, a kind looking woman came in, wearing a white lab coat, which made me shiver a little bit involuntarily. I hoped no one noticed, but Diana apparently did, and put a hand on my shoulder, silently telling me that she was there both with me and for me.

The woman introduced herself as Dr. Kirby and told me there was nothing to worry about, and I hoped she was right. She took out a needle, and yeah, guess what?

I flinched.

I freaking flinched.

Diana, seeing my distress, immediately came in front of me and knelt down so she was looking into my eyes. She put her hands on my shoulders and said, „It's okay. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

I looked into her eyes, and I could see that she was telling me the truth. I didn't have to do this – I could easily refuse to participate in this test. But still, I wanted to learn about myself. I knew I was an alien – a Kryptonian. Most likely the last of my kind. What was the source of my powers? Okay, that one I sort of figured out already. But still - did I even have a DNA? How different am I from humans?

So, with steel resolution and determination in my eyes (I hoped it was there, anyway), I looked at Dr. Kirby and nodded at her, silently giving her my permission to proceed.

... The needle broke when it came in contact with my skin.

„Th-That ... that was a titanium needle," stammered Dr. Kirby. Titanium. The strongest metal on Earth, according to Cheeky Dickhead the Second, or commonly known as a scientist that experimented on me once. He said that I wouldn't be able to break out of titanium bonds. He was wrong. I was fifteen.

They decided to use Nth metal after that – I couldn't do shit against that one, even though I suspected I wasn't nearly as strong as I was now.

„Okay, let's move on," suggested Diana after a beat of awkward silence. I nodded at once, agreeing wholeheartedly.

We decided to get this over with and do the scans, despite how anxious I felt. I knew they were trying to help me. I knew that, but years of _tests_ taught me not to trust them. To run. I shook those thoughts away – they wouldn't do me any good. It was a survival reflex, an instinct to run, to hide, and to survive. I didn't want to do that.

I literally felt Diana's smile widen and her expression brighten before she looked at me, her eyes sparkling, „J'onn's here!"

Ah. J'onn J'onzz – the Martian, as Diana told me. An alien like me – the last of his kind, apparently. Diana motioned with her hand at an extremely tall figure, even taller than me, and I realized that this is the Martian. If not for the fact that his skin was deep green, the fact that he was wearing a pair of dark blue boots and a cape of the same color would've revealed his origin to me anyway.

„Hey, J'onn, I'd like to introduce you to Clark," greeted Diana once we approached the Martian. He turned around and smiled at her, but his smile disappeared immediately the moment his eyes landed on me. His expression looked ... solemn, that's the only way to describe it. As if he was seeing a ghost from his past.

„Jor-El?" he whispered quietly.

„No," I answered softly. The man from my dreams, or nightmares, really. Jor. My father. Jor-El.

The surprise on his face was evident. He looked at me, as if he was trying to see into my mind – his eyes started glowing bright orange, and then as fast as it came, it disappeared.

„I am sorry. I am aware that I should not look into the minds of the innocent. Kal-El," he said, and I felt something burn within me when he said the name, „it is a pleasure to meet the last son of Krypton at last."

„The last..." I mumbled quietly to myself. So it was true. I am the last. The last of my kind.

The last Kryptonian.

„Come with me, please. We have much to talk about," the Martian said, and looked pointedly at Diana. „Diana may come as well, if you wish so."

I looked at her and I recognized the expression in her eyes – she was giving me a choice. She had the same look in her eyes when she asked me if I wanted to do the tests. Back then, which was yesterday, I thought about that immensely. Now, though, the answer was clear. And so, with a nod, which seemed to satisfy both J'onn and Diana, we started walking towards the cafeteria. At least that's what it looked like to me.

We sat down at one of the many tables present in the room, and for a second, there was an awkward silence.

„Who am I?" I asked him quietly. Knowing the basic facts, I still wanted to learn who I truly was.

„You," answered the Martian after a while, „are the son of two of Krypton's best scientists, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van. You are Kal-El, the Star-Child, the last son of Krypton, the last member of the noble House of El."

Lara. That's the name of my mother. The beautiful woman I saw in my dreams, next to my father.

„Why am I the last? And how do you know so much about Krypton?" I asked a few seconds later. I saw Diana from the corner of my eye, almost as interested as I was.

He sighed. „My race perished hundreds of years ago. I have travelled across the stars, searching for a new home, when I arrived to Krypton, where I met your parents. I left months before the planet parrished, not knowing what was about to happen. I have a suspicion that Jor-El was aware of what was going to happen.

„Krypton was a planet of advanced science and military. Its gravity was hundreds of times stronger than that of Earth, making even my muscles strain, and it circled a red sun, a red supergiant Kryptonians called Rao – the God of all creation, of light and life."

He then went on, and told me everything he knew. About Krypton's supposedly unstable core, leading to the planet's destruction. How Kryptonians were one of the most advanced civilizations in the universe, far ahead of the Martians. How happy were my parents when they found out Lara was pregnant, even if it was against Kryptonian laws to give birth naturally.

He explained to me how Kryptonians were born through a Birthing Matrix – how the parents would put their DNA into it, the Matrix would then process it, modify it, and then create an embryo, from which the Kryptonian will be born in a few months.

He told that how, while cold and aloof as Kryptonians were, Jor-El and Lara were different, and took the Martian in and allowed him to live with them.

„You look so much like your father," he said eventually with a kind smile. „You have your mother's hair and eyes, however. Jor-El claimed he has never seen eyes as deep and beautiful as your mother's."

My eyes. Deep blue with speckles of white in them. Ma used to say that they were the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen. The eyes that were now filled with tears. Diana put her hand on my shoulder and offered me a watery smile when I looked at her, and I noticed she had tears in her eyes, too. I decided to change the topic, or I knew I would break down soon.

„H-How ... how do my powers work?" I asked shakily. The Martian smiled at me gently, obviously understanding my need to change the subject.

„As I have told you already, Kryptonians evolved on a planet billions of years before humans," I nodded, and he continued, „Krypton's environment was much, much harsher than that of Earth, which meant that Kryptonians' muscles had to adapt. Your muscles are genetically strong enough to live on a planet with gravity hundreds of times stronger than that of Earth."

I nodded in understanding, the realization dawning on me. That's how I was able to break through the wall even though I was the definition of a walking skeleton. That's why they couldn't cut me with ordinary equipment.

It comforted me – the science, the explanations. The knowledge. I felt lighter, somehow. Maybe it was Diana's presence, or the Martian finally answering the questions I've had for the longest of times.

J'onn, however, continued, „Krypton used to orbit a red supergiant. Earth, however, orbits around Sol – a yellow star. Each and every one of your cells absorb the energy of the Sol."

This time, Diana cut in, „That was the reason you didn't have your abilities in the facility we found you in," she explained, „it was all lined with lead, not allowing even the passive radiation to peak through."

They must have had something similar like that in 33.1.

„So, I'm a solar battery?" I asked him. The martian let out a weak chuckle and nodded. „Basically, yes. Your body has already adapted to Earth's atmosphere and environment, and if my suspicions are correct, your ability to absorb Sol's radiation are already more efficient than would be that of an average, Matrix born Kryptonian."

Somehow, that didn't make me feel any better. The knowledge that I would most likely never meet another of my own kind again.

„I know how you feel, Kal-El," said J'onn softly, „I am the last surviving Martian as well, and while the pain will not pass, it will get easier. In time."

I nodded at him and gave him my thanks. Once we left the Martian, who, apparently, really loved Oreos, whatever that was, we decided to go and test my abilities. To be honest, I was glad for the distraction, even though it still gave me the creeps.

„Oh, and Kal-El?" asked the Martian, and somehow, I heard him. Turning around, I gave him a confused look, and he smiled at me, his chin a little smeared from the ... cookies? Oh, right. Oreos were cookies. „While you are physically alright now, I would be careful. Your body will now evolve now more than ever, adapting to your new abilities."

I nodded at him in thanks and gave him a light smile. Adapting? Somehow, I had a feeling it wouldn't end very well.

Once we left the cafeteria, I couldn't stop thinking about Krypton and my biological parents. Diana kept offering me her silent support, obviously seeing I was still troubled, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. I didn't know what to say, and apparently, neither did she. Still, I felt grateful for her calming presence alone.

I also made a mental note to ask my parents to see the ship I've arrived in. I secretly hoped I'd find something in it – a picture, perhaps. Anything. I wanted to see my biological parents, and not in a dream, seconds before their demise.

„" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „" „"

Two hours later, my tests were finished. As not even J'onn had any idea what my powers would evolve into and what would they be, they decided to test me only with the abilities they were sure I possessed – durability, strength and flight.

Flying still caused me a little bit of trouble, but I was sure I'd be able to master it with proper training.

„So, how did I do?" I asked once I left the gym where they decided the test would take place. Batman was reading through some data on his tablet and Diana was beaming at me. I was a little afraid that she wouldn't be able to ... uh ... ungrin? Yes. Ungrin. Let's leave it at that.

„You are getting stronger by the second," answered Batman. „We gave you the strongest weights we have and you lifted it like it was a paperweight. Your strength most likely already outmatches Diana. There is no known limit yet."

I looked at her, and while I couldn't read all the emotions on her face, I could still see the trust in them, and I was glad that she wasn't afraid of me. She was a warrior. She could most likely still kick my ass into oblivion.

„Your durability's limits also remain unknown."

„You _shot bullets_ at me," I said.

Batman smirked. „I know."

„You have potential, Kal," said Diana, and I immediately registered the name rolling off her tongue. She seemed to notice it, too, but didn't pay it any attention. I kind of liked the way it sounded in her Themysciran accent, as it was apparently called. „With proper training, you could be a valuable member of the League."

I was pretty sure that I would've choked on my own spit if not for the fact that I probably couldn't.

„You ... you think I have it in me? To be like you?"

„Like us?" she asked, clearly confused.

„To be a ... hero," I said uncertainly.

She frowned. „Of course you have, Kal. I've seen the way you care for others, even after all you've been through. How worried you were about others when we found you in Cadmus, how much you care about your parents. You definitely have it in you, Kal."

I felt touched at her words, but even more at the sincerity and complete faith in them.

„There are more prisoners, Diana. In 33.1. I want to set them free. I want to help them."

„And you will be able to," she said, and I saw Batman already doing something on the tablet, his fingers moving on the screen with speed and precision. „With our help, you will be able to help. But first, you need to learn to control all of your abilities. And you need training. Like hand-to-hand training. Strength isn't everything, Kal."

I sighed and nodded. Still, I had to talk about this with my parents, though I was sure that they'd agree.

At least, I hoped so.

* * *

 **Alright, this is it. Please, let me know your thoughts about this chapter in a review, it would really make my day:)**

 **I'll see you around. :)**


	7. Author's Note

Okay, so, many of you are probably wondering why I've decided to update the story after a .. more or less a year. To be clear – I'm not updating it here. This chapter is just an Author's Note.

I have decided to rewrite and continue the story – from first person POV to third person POV. The first three/four chapters (or, well, the whole story that's here) which are rewritten are already uploaded on AO3.

I strongly recommend to read the new, rewritten chapters.

This story has a lot of potential, and I want to see it through.

You can find this story on Archive Of Our Own as „The Damaged Hero" by rambledore, which is, coincidentally, also my tumblr username.

Thank you.


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